Foundation garments and method of knitting same



1966 B. D. GORDON ETAL 3,233,432

FOUNDATION GARMENTS AND METHOD OF KNITTING SAME Filed Aug. 9, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

BARNETT D. GORDON 6-; i' j mm F I 9 ATTORNEYS Feb. 8, 1966 3,233,432

FOUNDATION GARMENTS AND METHOD OF KNITTING SAME B. D. GORDON ETAL 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 9, 1962 FIG.5

INVENTOR. BARNETT D. GORDON BY NAR'HN TRUST ATTORNEYS B. D. GORDON ET AL 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Feb. 8, 1966 FOUNDATION GARMENTS AND METHOD OF KNITTING SAME Filed Aug. 9, 1962 Feb. 8, 1986 D. GQRDQN ETAL 392339432 FOUNDATION GARMENTS AND METHOD OF KNITTING SAME 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 9, 1962 INVENTOR. BARNETT o. GORDON m ARTIN TRUST ATTORNEYS Feb. 8, 1966 s. D. GORDON ETAL 3,233,432

FOUNDATION GARMENTS AND METHOD OF KNITTING SAME 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 9, 1962 R m N m a 11 w w% in a In MN m 3 2 d 6 v I 3, C .S S .3 ww m mm wmm $2 Mwmm w 1mm M m OM OM 9m 2 m w: M -m=mam gm -a m m f J1 f w 0 ML m PM my 9 m D/ u m By E m U Mw W/% m u a 4 3 2 u L o 6 REPZEAT l TIMES 66 OPER ATIONS FIGIO BARNETT D. GORDON MA'RTIN TRUST BY ATTORNEYS United States Patent shire Filed Aug. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 215,966

8 Claims. (Ql. 66-176) The invention relates to foundation garments, especially for women, and to methods of knitting same. It is an object of the invention to produce on a knitting machine front and rear panels for foundation garments which are seamless except for the two side seams by which the front and rear panels are joined, which are made optionally with areas of relatively open work for ventilation and areas in which additional or different yarns are knitted in for reinforcement or added protection, but which nevertheless are smoothly contoured to fit on the portions of the body which they cover, such fit being without gathering or bulging of the material in the wrong places.

As hereinafter explained, the ventilating feature of the panels is brought about by the use of narrowing fingers on which every other point is omitted. The shaping of the panels with the areas of added or changed yarns is accomplished by the novel sequence of movements of the narrowing fingers under control of the buttons on the pattern chain. The rear panel contains two bulges which accommodate the buttocks, these bulges being variable in size and shape.

For a more complete understanding of the invention,

' reference may be had to the following description thereof,

-and to the drawings, of which FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 are outline perspective views of representative garments which may embody the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the front panel of the garment shown in FIGURE 3;

' rowing fingers with a needle bank beneath and yarn carriers adjacent to them;

FIGURE 9 is an elevational view of a set of two narrowing fingers with aneedle bank and yarn carriers;

FIGURE 10 is a diagram showing the arrangement of buttons in a pattern chain for knitting the front panel for a panty brief embodying the invention; and

FIGURE 11 is a diagram of buttons on the pattern chain for knitting the rear panel for such panties.

Foundation garments embodying the invention are weft knitted on the flat type of knitting machine and are composed of two panels, namely, a front panel and a rear panel. After they have been knitted, these panels are trimmed, then stitched together at the sides, the panels themselves being otherwise seamless. The two panels may be independently knitted on different machines, but for convenience they may be knitted in succession on the same machine. In such case, the knitting may conveniently start at the bottom of the front panel and progress upward to the top, then continue on to knit the rear panel from the top down. Some of the varieties of foundation garments which can be made according to the invention are illustrated in FIGURES 13. For example, a panty brief 20 is shown in FIGURE 1, a girdle 22 in FIGURE 2, and a full-length corselet 24 in FIGURE 3. The panty 3,233,432 Patented Feb. 8, 1966 "ice brief, which is more fully described hereinafter consists of front and rear panels 26, 23 which are joined together by side seams 34) but are otherwise seamless, each of these panels being made entirely on a fiat knitting machine of the Reading type. Both panels are of extensible fabric except that a reinforced area 32 in the front panel is relatively inextensible to provide abdominal support. In like manner, the garments shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 consist of two completely knitted panels joined by side seams, the garments being otherwise seamless. The girdle 22 has a reinforced front area 34 which is relatively inextensible and is produced on the knitting machine in the course of knitting the panel. The corselet 24 has two reinforced areas 36, 38 and also contoured breast cup bulges 40, 42, the latter being formed in the knitting operation as described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,977,783 granted April 4, 1961. FIGURE 3 shows the front panel of the corselet which is made entirely on the knitting machine, with no cutting or seaming. This is done by shifting yarn loops by the use of narrowing fingers such are illustrated at 44, 46, 48, 50 in FIGURE 8. The fingers 44, 50 are hereinafter referred to as the outer fingers, being more remote from the vertical centerline of the fabric than are the fingers 46, 48 which are referred to as the inner fingers. The narrowing fingers are usually provided with narrowing points 52 which are spaced like the knitting needles 54 in the needle bank, a narrowing point being directly above each needle. In the narrowing fingers illustrated in FIGURE 8, however, every other point is omitted so that when the fingers dip to pick up loops of yarn, they take only from alternate needles, the other needles retaining their loops. When the loops which have been picked up have been shifted to the next needles, half the needles have two loops and the other half have none. When knitting is resumed, small holes are formed in the fabric which provide a ventilating feature to the fabric, especially when the fabric is stretched as it normally will be when it is part of a garment which is being worn.

The novel features of the invention can be exemplified by a detailed description of the knitting of a panty brief 20 such as is shown in FIGURES 1, 5 and 6. The front and rear panels of this garment can be knitted on different machines and in either direction, that is, from top to bottom or from bottom to top. As hereinafter described, both panels are knitted in succession on one machine, the knitting starting at the bottom of the front panel, progressing to the top, then continuing to form the rear panel from the top down to the bottom. The entire operation is controlled by buttons on the pattern chain which is standard equipment for knitting machines of the kind employed. Preferably the machine is equipped with enough needles 54 to knit from sclvage to selvage at the widest point of the panels. When the front panel of the panty brief 20 is started, the narrowing fingers 44, 46, 48, 5d are uniformly spaced apart with ten or so needles between each two successive fingers. Loop-shifting begins after the first course is knitted as indicated on the diagram of buttons on the pattern chain indicated in FIGURE 10. The chain as shown on the drawing is supposed to move downward so that the pattern should be read from the bottom upward. For convenience, the buttons shown are designated a, b, c, d, e, f and g according to their spacing from the left hand edge of the chain.

The a button causes the narrowing fingers to dip to take loops from the needles which are directly below the points 52 of the narrowing fingers. Unless modified by the presence of another button in the same row, the a button then causes the outer fingers 44, St) to move inward one needle space, that is, toward the centerline of the needle bank, and the inner fingers 46, 48 to move outward one needle space, that is, away from the centerline of the needle bank to deposit the lifted loops on the needles then under the oints. But in the pattern chain illustrated in FIGURE 10, the first a button 60 has an 1 button 62 in the same row which causes the inner fingers 46, 48 to move inward instead of outward. Hence the first operation of the four narrowing fingers is to dip, then shift all the loops which have been picked up inward one neede space toward the centerline of the needle bank. Six courses are then knitted before the next dip. In this interval, e, 1 buttons 64- cause the inner fingers 46, 48 to shift one needle space outward, without dipping, to the Pposi'tions they previously occupied. The g button 66 causes the outer fingers 44, 50 to return outward to their previous positions. This sequence of shifting loops inward by all four of the narrowing fingers, followed by a return to position during the knitting of six courses, is

repeated nine times, that number being variable for other sizes of garments. This brings the knitting from the bottom G of the front panel to the level H at the lower end of the reinforced area 32,

In FIGURE 8 three yarn carriers 79, 72, 74 are indicated. These yarn carriers are standard equipment as well as the mechanisms (not shown) for causing them to travel back and forth to lay their yarns against some or all of the needles 54 before each. knitting operation. The yarns supplied through these carriers are selected according to the fabric which is to be knitted. For the pantry brief 20, the carrier 70 carries a relatively inextensible yarn of nylon or equivalent such as textured nylon, cotton, Orlon or Dacron. The'carrier 72 carries a fine extensible thread of rubber, .Lycra or an equivalent. The carrier 74 carries. a reinforcing yarn which is relatively inextensible, e.g., nylon. In making the panty brief 20, the carriers 70, 72 operate from selvage to selvage in every course knitted. The carrier 74 is idle except when'the area 32 is being knitted, and its travel is limited to the side edges of that area. The carrier 70 extends down a little further than the other carriers so that its yarn is laid on the needle shanks below the yarn from the carrier 72. This results in plating when the yarns are knitted, the

elastic yarn being on the inside of the fabric.

When in the knitting operation the level H is reached, the a button 76 and 1 button '78 cause all the narrowing fingers to dip, pick up loops and shift the loops one needle space inward. Then six courses of stitches are knitted during which the g buttons 80, 82 move the outer fingers two tneedle spaces outward, the e, f buttons 84, 36 move the inner fingers two needlespaces outward, and the b and 0 buttons 88, 9%) move outward the stops (not shown) limiting the travel of the reinforcing yarn carrier 74 which was put into action just before the buttons 76. 78 were reached. As can be seen from the chart in FIGURE 10, the next inward loop shifting by all the narrowing fingers is followed by outward movements of the fingers for three needle spaces during the knitting of the next six courses, thus widening the spacing between the fingers 46 and 48, the stops at both ends of the travel of the carrier 74 being moved outward to widen the reinforced area 32. The third inward shift of loops is followed by six courses of knitting during which all the fingers are moved outward two needle spaces and one of the carrier stops is moved outward one needle space. The fourth inward shift of loops is followed by six courses of knitting during which the fingers are moved outward three needle spaces and the other carrier stop is moved outward one space. This sequence of four sets of operations is repeated twelve times, which takes the knitting to the level I at the widest point of the reinforced area 32.

After six courses of plain knitting, the fingers are caused by the a button 92 to dip and pick up yarn loops. The ;g button 94- then causes the outer fingers 44, S0 to carry the loops outward one needle space. The d, e, 1 buttons 96, 98, 100 cause the inner fingers46, 48 to carry their loops outward. Hence all the loops lifted by the narrowing fingers are shifted one needle S59E40; Outward. Then six a button 110 causes all the fingers to dip and take loops 4 courses are knitted while e, 1 buttons R02 cause all the fingers to move inward two needle spaces, thus diminishing the spacing between the fingers 46 and 48. The next set of actions is the same except that low b, 0 buttons 104 cause the carrier stops to move inward or toward each other to shorten the travel of the yarn carrier 74. These sets of operations are repeated 20 times, causing the reinforced area 32 to taper upward from the level J-to the level K which is at the top of the front panel. The resulting area 32, as illustrated in FIGURE 5, is a somewhat elongated' pentagon, but it is to be understood that this is by way of example only and that othersizes and shapes of reinforced areas may be knitted by appropriate arrangements of buttons on the pattern chain. The loop shifting operations provide a three-dimensional contour of the panel as a whole, the curvature being modified by the courses of knitting whichcome between successive loop shifting operations.

Ifthe machine is equipped to knit the rear panel also, it proceeds to do that after knitting a few courses plain. The control buttons on the attern chain for the rear panel are indicated on the chart in FIGURE 11. Since the width of the front and rear panels maybe the same at the top, the knitting of the rear panel preferably starts at the top and proceeds down to the button of the panel. The first of yarn. The d, g buttons 112, 114 then cause the outer the outer fingers to their previous positions.

fingers 44, 50 to move outward or away from each other while the 3 button 116 causes the innerfingers-46, 48 to move inward or toward each other. This increases the spacesbetween' the fingers 44, 4-6 and between the fingers 48, 50 by two needle spaces. Then six courses are knitted during which e, buttons 118 return the inner fingers to their previous positions and a low g button 120 returns This cycle is repeated fourteen times by ninety eight operations of the machine, each operation being either a loop transferring operation or the knitting of a course.

From this point the loop-shifting is reversed, the outer fingers shifting their loops inward while the inner fingers shift the loops outward. As indicated by the chart in FIGURE 11, an a button 122 dip the fingers and causes the outer fingers to shift their loops inward while 2, f buttons 124 cause the inner fingers to shift their loops outward. Thus thefingers'44, 46 move toward each other as do the fingers 48, 50. The knitting of six courses follows during which the fingers are returned to their previous positions, an 7 button 126 shifting the inner fingers inward, a g button 128shifting the outer fingers outward. This sequence is repeated six times, six courses being knitted after each shifting of loops. Six more similar loop-shifting operations are each followed by five courses of knitting. Then eight loop-shifting operations are each followed by four courses of knitting. Then twenty loop shifting operations are each followed by three courses of'knitting. Finally, the lowest portion of the rear panel is made by knitting only two courses between successive loop-shifting operations numbering one hundred thirty. Since the omission of alternate points 52 on the narrowing fingers results in the formation of a row of holes in the fabric each time loops are shifted, the fewer the courses knitted between loop-shifting operations the greater the number of holes formed in the fabric, and hence the greater the degree of ventilation provided. Since the four narrowing fingers 44-, 46, 43, 50 are separated from one another by a few needle spaces, the needles between the ends of the fingers are not denuded when loops are shifted. Hence these needles form narrow bands 130, 132, 134 of plain knitting on the front panel. The middle band 132 Widens into the reinforced area 32 when the knitting reaches the level The bands and 134 can be eliminated by joining pairs of the narrowing fingers to form two longer fingers 146, 142. Su h fing s an b u ed to kni f n pane s like t e e herein described. Narrowing fingers with full complements of narrowing points can be employed. This would result in the elimination of the ventilating holes in the fabric.

The movements of the narrowing fingers in making the front panel as described have the effect of creating enough additional fabric around the reinforced area 32 to make the panel smooth as a whole and to avoid the local bulging and wrinkling that results from merely introducing a reinforcing yarn in the area 32 without modifying the knitting of the rest of the panel. This is due to the fact that when yarn loops are shifted one needle space by the points of a narrowing finger which picks up loops from every other needle below the finger, the finger being returned to its previous position after shifting the loops, the wales formed by the needles from which loops were taken incline toward the direction of shift and wherever I a loop is shifted to a needle which retains its own loop,

the wale of the needle losing its loop merges with the wale of the needle having the extra loop. Thus the end point of the narrowing finger always puts an extra loop on the needle next beyond its initial position so that if the finger is returned each time to its initial position, a wale is merged with the continuous wale of that needle. Where the narrowing finger picks up only every other loop, the wale of each needle losing a loop merges with the wale of the needle next to-it.

When after a loop-shifting operation, a narrowing finger is returned two or three needle spaces, the needle next beyond the end point of the narrowing finger is further from the center line of the panel so that an additional wale or two is formed there, thus providing the additional fabric required to keep the reinforced area smooth. Since no loop-shifting is done in the reinforced area 32, all the wales in this area are vertical whereas the wales in the areas on either side of the central area diverge and are inclined from the vertical.

We claim:

1. A seamless knitted front panel for a foundation garment having an elastic yarn knitted from selvage to selvage throughout the panel and an inelastic yarn knitted in with the elastic yarn in a central reinforced area all of which is plain knitted, the structure of the remaining areas on either side of the reinforced area comprising groups of consecutive courses of plain knitting several of which alternate with single courses in which every other Wale is inclined toward the center line of the panel, the remaining groups alternating with single courses in which every other wale is inclined away from the center line of the panel.

2. A front panel as described in claim 1, every other loop of the first course of each of said group passing through two loops of the preceding single course.

3. A front panel as described in claim 1, including an additional inelastic yarn knitted in throughout the entire panel.

4. A front panel as described in claim 2, including an additional inelastic yarn knitted in throughout the entire panel.

5. A knitted foundation garment comprising a front panel and a rear panel made by flat weft knitting only and stitched together along their side edges but otherwise seamless, said front panel having a central area which is relatively inextensible and consists of wales all of which are vertical, the remainder of said front panel being relatively extensible and consisting of diverging wales, an ex tensible and an inextensible yarn being knitted together throughout the entire front panel, a second inextensible yarn being knitted in with said extensible and inextensible yarns in said central area only.

6. A knitted foundation garment as described in claim 5, said relatively extensible areas consisting of groups of courses alternating with lines of junctions of merging pairs of wales, the junctions in each line providing a series of ventilating holes in the fabric.

7. The method of making the front panel of a womans knitted undergarment having a central reinforced area in the shape of a truncated diamond, said method comprising starting the knitting at the bottom of the panel with a number of courses extending from selvage to selvage, shifting inward toward the center line of the panel a series of yarn loops on each side of said center line, each said series extending from near said center line to the corresponding selvage, then knitting a number of courses from selvage to selvage, repeating similar loop shifting operations alternating with the knitting of numbers of courses until the lower tip of the area to be reinforced is reached, then continuing the alternation of knitting steps and inward shifting of series of yarn loops, these series being progressively spaced increasing distances from the center line of the panel, knitting an additional yarn in with the central loops between the series of shifted loops, continuing these operations until the level of the maximum width of the reinforced area is reached, then progressively {decreasing the spacing between the series of shifted loops as the knitting and loop shifting operations are continued to the top of the panel with said additional yarn being knitted into the central area.

8. The method described in claim 7, the shifted yarn loops in each said series alternating with loops not shifted.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,965,860 7/ 1934 Rutledge.

2,026,963 1/1936 Burns 66176 2,074,119 3/1937 Boysen et al 66175 2,076,350 4/1937 Roques 66176 X 2,250,359 7/1941 Clark 66202 X 2,276,045 3/ 1942 Kattermann 66176 2,969,662 1/1961 Gordon 6689 2,976,708 3/ 1961 Gordon 66--176 2,977,783 4/1961 Crawford et al. 66176 2,983,128 5/1961 Golf et al. 66--177 3,043,123 7/1962 Goodman 66176 3,057,177 10/1962 Alric 6689 FOREIGN PATENTS 888,603 1/ 1962 Great Britain.

DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner.

RUSSELL C. MADER, Examiner. 

1. A SEAMLESS KNITTED FRONT PANEL FOR A FOUNDATION GARMENT HAVING AN ELASTIC YARN KNITTED FROM SELVAGE TO SELVAGE THROUGHOUT THE PANEL AND AN INELASTIC YARN KNITTED IN WITH THE ELASTIC YARN IN A CENTRAL REINFORCED AREA ALL OF WHICH IS PLAIN KNITTED, THE STRUCTURE OF THE REMAINING AREAS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE REINFORCED AREA COMPRISING GROUPS OF CONSECUTIVE COURSES OF PLAIN KNITTING SEVERAL OF WHICH ALTERNATE WITH SINGLE COURSES IN WHICH EVERY OTHER WALE IS INCLINED TOWARD THE CENTER LINE OF THE PANEL, THE REMAINING GROUPS ALTERNATING WITH SINGLE COURSES IN WHICH EVERY OTHER WALE IS INCLINED AWAY FROM THE CENTER LINE OF THE PANEL. 